| Bangladesh |
| JMB militants condemned to death row for 2004 attack on secular writer |
| 2022-04-14 |
| [BenarNews] A Dhaka court convicted and condemned to death four suspected members of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh The JMB is said to be the youth front of Al Mujahideen, the parent organization that began working toward establishing Bangladesh as an Islamic state in the mid 1990s, which remains obscure and probably defunct today. Other organizations, such as Jama'atul Jihad, JMB, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), Hizbut Tawhid, Tawhidi Janata, Islami Jubo Shangha, Islami Shangha, Al Falah A'am Unnayan Shanstha and Shahadat-e al Hiqma are believed to be part of the Al Mujahideen network. The JMB at its peak was reported to contain at least 100,000 members, and an alleged 2,000-man suicide brigade, few of whom actually exploded. JMB allegedly received financial assistance from individual donors in Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Libya. Reports have claimed that funding of JMB by international NGOs like Kuwait based Society of the Revival of Islamic Heritage (RIHS) and Doulatul Kuwait, Saudi Arabia based Al Haramaine Islamic Institute and Rabita Al Alam Al Islami, Qatar Charitable Society and UAE-based Al Fuzaira and Khairul Ansar Al Khairia. The top leadership of JMB was captured in 2005 and hung in 2007, which pretty much shot their bolt. turban group on Wednesday for attacking a prominent Bengali secular writer with machetes 18 years ago. In a bizarre case, the defendants were tried on murder charges although the writer, Humayun Azad, died of heart failure in Germany in August 2004, six months after Death Eaters attacked him at a book fair in Dhaka. |
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| Bangladesh |
| Monirul: Main JMB weakening |
| 2016-08-20 |
| [Dhaka Tribune] Al-Qaeda-inspired JMB, an outlawed Lion of Islam group responsible for carrying out series kabooms in 63 districts on this day in 2005, has lost much of its strength in the recent years, detectives say. But, the recently-emerged Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) faction has appeared on the scene as a deadlier Lion of Islam group than the mainstream one, founded in 1998 by Shayakh Abdur Rahman. Law enforcers blame the New JMB members for most of the recent assassination'>assassinations including the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks, while some of the attacks were claimed by another Lion of Islam group Ansarullah Bangla Team. Ansarullah was declared banned in May last year. The New JMB is believed to be inspired by international terrorist group Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... and local Ahle Hadith group. It is operated by eight to ten coordinators under the leadership of a yet unidentified spiritual leader from a northern district, detectives say. Police say they have incarcerated I ain't sayin' nuttin' widdout me mout'piece! around 150 New JMB members in the last two years. The main JMB in June this year issued a statement describing the attacks they have conducted since 1998 and denied having involved in other attacks. It said former majlish-e-sura member Salahuddin alias Salehin alias Sajeeb became their chief after he was snatched from a prison van in February 2014. In another statement released on July 31, the JMB claimed they had no connection with the Gulshan attack when 23 people mostly foreigners were killed in a restaurant on July 1. The previous chief, Jamaat-e-Islami ... The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... leader Maulana Saidur Rahman, has been in jail since 2010 while its founder was hanged in 2007 along with several other policymakers including Siddiqur Rahman alias Bangla Bhai. The group was banned on February 23, 2005. After the August 17 blasts carried out in 511 places, the JMB carried out several suicide kabooms killing at least 33 people before its top leaders were arrested in early 2006. The notorious group came to light by establishing a reign of terror in Rajshahi and NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions... re in 2004 by killing and torturing dozens of people, in the name of operations against forces of Evil linked to leftist parties and under the patronisation of some BNP-Jamaat leaders, and the attack on Prof Humayun Azad. Around 160 cases were filed against the JMB leaders and patrons across the country regarding these incidents. But verdicts have been given in only 88 of the cases in the last 11 years. At least 51 cases are still waiting for disposal in different district courts. In the 88 cases, 35 bully boyz were given death penalty, and of them, only six have been executed so far. The other cases are pending with the top court. The courts sentenced 131 bully boyz to life-term imprisonment in these cases. Four out of the 18 cases filed over 33 blasts in Dhaka city on this day in 2005 have been quashed by the courts. According to the Police Headquarters data, police gave final report in 17 out of 160 cases clearing the accused. The number of people sued in the 143 other cases was 242 but charges were pressed against 1,157 people. Investigators say 960 of the accused have been arrested so far. However, ars longa, vita brevis... the number of bully boyz who secured bail could not be known. In the recent years, the main JMB members were responsible for several assassination'>assassinations that include Mohammad Shahidullah at Tanore in Rajshahi on May 6, retired sergeant instructor of Kashimpur jail Rustom Hawlader in Gazipur on April 25, Pir Khijir Khan in Badda area of Dhaka on October 5 last year, popular preacher Sheikh Nurul Islam Faruqi in Dhaka on August 27, 2014, and self-proclaimed Pir Lutfar Rahman, his son and four disciples at Gopibagh in Dhaka on December 21, 2013. |
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| Bangladesh |
| The price of secularism in Bangladesh |
| 2016-01-01 |
| [Dhaka Tribune] Until he was stabbed multiple times with a kitchen knife and forced to flee to Europe two years ago, Asif Mohiuddin was a leading member of Bangladesh's ''freethinker'' movement and the country's best-known secular provocateur. We met last June at a cafe on a pedestrian promenade around the corner from his apartment, a sunlit space in a shabby-chic neighborhood in northern Germany. (He asked me not to name the city.) Mohiuddin, dressed that day in jeans and a green T-shirt that proclaimed ''American Atheists Convention, Memphis, April 2-5, 2015,'' was still getting used to the tranquillity of his new surroundings. Shortly after he secured a fellowship at a German institute and left Bangladesh, Lions of Islam serially murdered four of his friends -- all secular bloggers who had criticized fundamentalist Islam and whose names appeared on ''hit lists'' assembled by hard-liners and disseminated on social media. ''Everybody is wondering who will be next,'' Mohiuddin told me while picking halfheartedly at the kiwi slices on his plate. Mohiuddin, who is 31, grew up in a Muslim family in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital city of 14 million. The son of a middle-ranking civil servant, he studied religion after school at a mosque. ''I learned many ridiculous things -- that I would get virgins in heaven, or that I would suffer the ultimate punishment in hell for eternity,'' he said. At 13, he declared himself an atheist. Muslims make up 89 percent of Bangladesh's population (Hindus, Buddhists and Christians constitute most of the rest), and belief in God is near universal; for a child to profess such lack of faith was unheard-of, and his father was deeply shamed. While in high school, Mohiuddin read ''A Brief History of Time,'' by Stephen Hawking, which he calls ''a major influence.'' At 16, he picked up a Bengali science magazine that used relativity theory and other scientific principles to explain miracles described in the Koran. He felt compelled to challenge the article in print. ''I wrote that it was scientifically impossible for the Prophet Muhammad to ascend to heaven on a horse,'' he said. The science magazine barred him from its pages, but he began contributing to the religion section of Dhaka newspapers, sharing the space with believers. ''The Islamists would write during Ramadan that fasting is very good for health, that it creates new brain cells, and I would write back, 'This is [expletive],' '' he told me. In 2008, after earning a degree in computer science, Mohiuddin turned to blogging. Writing in Bengali for a website called Somewhere in ... Blog, he drew upon the thinking of Bangladeshi philosophers and agnostics like Humayun Azad, whose most famous work, ''Nari,'' criticized the chauvinistic attitude of Islam toward women and was banned by the Bangladeshi government in 1995. (The ban was lifted five years later.) Mohiuddin's online writing grew even more strident. His posts -- advocating women's rights and secular education, criticizing a law banning marriages between Hindus and Muslims, condemning communal violence targeting Hindus and questioning the infallibility of the prophet -- attracted as many as one million views. They also enraged the country's Islamists, a relatively small but increasingly vocal part of the country's population of 168 million. Mohiuddin was sometimes challenged by the Islamists to debates in Dhaka, packed public forums during which he would only anger them further. ''They said, 'You should say the prayer to Muhammad before we start,' '' he said. ''And I said, 'Why should I?' '' Gradually, the invitations stopped, and the threats began. |
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| Bangladesh |
| Avijit murdered by professional killers |
| 2015-02-28 |
| [Dhaka Tribune] The attack on author Avijit Roy and his wife was carried out by professional machete-wielding killers in a premeditated manner, Sherlocks have said, adding that initial leads suggest that fundamentalist Lions of Islam were behind the killing. "Two persons took part in the killing mission that lasted around two minutes. From the spot [of the killing], we have collected two machetes and a handbag; but both of the machetes' handles were wrapped in paper, so it was not possible to get any fingerprint from it," Shirjaul Islam, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh cop shoppe, told the Dhaka Tribune. Quoting witnesses, the OC said the two assailants were aged between 30 and 35 years; one of them was wearing a white shirt and black trouser and the other wearing a grey coat. "Soon after the incident, they just disappeared. The murder would not have been possible without backup support, and we are suspecting that the killers might have had other associates nearby as they had carried out the killing in a preplanned way," Shirajul said. Based on previous incidents and analysing the method of the attack, the police was now investigating myrmidon links to the killing, the OC added. Avijit, 45, was hacked to death and his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonna, 35, was maimed in an attack by person or persons unknown near the TSC roundabout on Thursday night. Bonna is currently being treated at the capital's Square Hospital. She is reportedly in a stable, but critical condition. Meanwhile, ...back at the shouting match, a new, even louder, voice was to be heard... as per Avijit's wishes, his body will now be handed over to the Dhaka Medical College for medical research, said the slain author's cousin Bishnu Roy. Family sources said Avijit -- a naturalised US citizen who lived in the US state of Georgia -- came to Bangladesh with his wife on February 15 after two new books by him were published at the Ekushey Book Fair. Since arriving in Dhaka, the author, who rose to prominence with his Bangla-language blog site Mukto-mona, had been visiting the book fair every day -- reportedly staying there until the end of business hours. During this period, the perpetrators might have monitored the movement of Avijit to plan the attack, Shahbagh OC Shirajul said. An inquest report has also found that the main target of the culprits was to murder Avijit, he added. Militant group claims responsibility Only hours after the death of the author and blogger, the responsibility of the crime was claimed by a Twitter account reportedly belonging to "Ansar Bangla 7" - a group believed to be an Islamist outfit. "Allahu Akbar..A great success today here in #Bangladesh. Target is Down -:- here in #Dhaka," read the tweet by the group. "Anti-Islamic blogger US-Bengali citizen Avijit Roy is assassinated in capital Dhaka due to his crime against #Islam," another tweet also followed soon after. Acknowledging the tweet, Ramna division's Assistant Commissioner of police SM Shibli Noman told the Dhaka Tribune that Sherlocks were considering myrmidon involvement as the prime lead, as the method of attack was almost similar to the previous attacks on another blogger -- Ahmed Rajib Haider -- and author Prof Humayun Azad. |
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| Bangladesh |
| Court orders arrest of 4 policemen |
| 2010-09-23 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] A Dhaka court yesterday issued arrest warrants against the then Officer-in-charge (OC) Mahbubur Rahman of Ramna Police Station and three other police officials for implicating and torturing a Dhaka University student for "attempting to kill" Prof Humayun Azad. The three other officials are sub-inspectors Rezaul Karim and Naser Ali of Ramna cop shoppe and Sergeant Anwar Hossain who was in charge of Nilkhet police box. Metropolitan Magistrate Mehedi Hasan Talukder passed the order after Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police submitted a report. The court also directed the OC of Ramna cop shoppe to submit a report by October 26 on execution of arrest warrants against the then OC and three other accused. Ehsan Uddin Chowdhury, CID inspector and investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the probe reports on Tuesday saying that the charges brought against the four police officials were primarily proved and they should be brought to justice. But the IO excluded detained former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar from the charge finding no connection of him. A gang of myrmidons attacked Prof Humayun Azad in front of Bangla Academy when he was on his way back home on February 27, 2004 leaving him seriously injured. Later on February 28, police jugged Mohammad Abu Abbas Bhuiyan, Mass Education Affairs' secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League central committee for attacking Humayun Azad. Later, he was remanded and taken to Ramna cop shoppe where the police tortured him for giving confessional statement. But police pressed charges against Jama'atul Mujahedin Bangladesh members in the case while dropping Abbas' name from the charge sheet on November 15 of 2007 after a probe. After getting bail from the court, Abbas, also a student of Political Science of Dhaka University, filed the case with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on March 5 of 2008 accusing Babar, Mahbubur Rahman and three other police officials for torturing. After the hearing, the court directed detective branch (DB) of police to submit a report after an investigation. But DB had earlier submitted a final report finding no evidence about the torture on the victim. Later on July 23 last year, the court had directed CID to probe the matter and submit a report on it. The CID investigated the matter and recorded statements of several people including some accused who were in Ramna cop shoppe and found their involvement in torturing Abbas. |
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| Bangladesh |
| 4 Jamaat leaders denied bail |
| 2010-08-10 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] A Dhaka court yesterday rejected bail petitions of Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojahid, its Nayeb-e-Ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee, assistant secretaries general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla in four criminal cases filed with different police stations. The cases were filed with Paltan, Bimanbandar and Ramna police stations in February and June this year and February 2004 on charges of vandalising president's vehicles, preventing police from discharging their duties and making an attempt to kill late Prof Humayun Azad. Of the cases, three were filed with Paltan on February 12 and June 27, one with Bimanbandar on June 9 and the other one was filed with Ramna on February 27, 2004. |
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| Bangladesh |
| JMB man discloses attack details |
| 2010-07-18 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] Detained acting JMB chief Nazmul told interrogators that he and executed JMB military commander Ataur Rahman Sunny were there when JMB men stabbed eminent author Prof Humayun Azad in front of Bangla Academy in February, 2004. Nazmul, who is also known as Bhagne Shahid and Anwar Alam, made the disclosure during remand at the Detective Branch of police office yesterday, a DB official told The Daily Star requesting not to be named. Nazmul told interrogators that as Prof Azad cried for help he detonated a bomb to clear the way for their escape dispersing people coming forward to aid Azad. Sunny had planned the attack and he had led the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh operatives who carried out the attack, he told investigators, adding that he had provided them with the knives. Nazmul told interrogators that they had also issued several death threats over telephone to Azad to stop, what they claimed, his anti-Islamic writings and opinions. He said Azad did not pay heed to their warnings. Asked about the information they received from Nazmul about the JMB operatives who took part in the attack, the DB official refused to give details for the sake of investigation. However, another DB official said JMB operatives Minhaz and Shamim, who is also known as Sado, took part in the attack among others. On February 27, 2004, they swooped on 56-year-old linguist Azad, a professor of Bangla at Dhaka University, as he was trying to catch a rickshaw to go home from the Ekushey Book Fair at Bangla Academy, sources said. Four to five youths, who were shadowing Azad, emerged from the direction of Suhrawardy Udyan and hemmed him, witnesses had told The Daily Star after the attack. As Prof Azad cried for help, a loud blast rocked the area and the attackers got away, they said. Azad died from what an autopsy said was a heart attack in Munich on August 12 that year. Azad was receiving threats from fundamentalists after his book "Pak Saar Jamin Saad Baad" was published in a national Bangla daily's Eid issue. Meanwhile, a top DB official said they put acting JMB chief Nazmul, the banned outfit's North Bengal chief Shafiqul Islam alias Jamai Rafiq and former acting JMB chief Saidur Rahman face-to-face and interrogated them. The official said they also put detained Jamaat leaders face-to-face with detained JMB leaders and interrogated them yesterday. A DB official said Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Motiur Rahman Nizami and Delwar Hossain Sayedee claimed that they are not war criminals. They said they just supported Pakistan during the war and it was their political right to do so. The detained JMB leaders used to keep regular contact with Jamaat leaders and some Jamaat leaders used to provide financial help to JMB operatives, claimed a DB source, adding that JMB high-ups were also trying to forge a unity with Jamaat. Jamaat and Hizb-ut Tahrir also tried to keep contact with Detained JMB leaders, a DB source said quoting the JMB leaders. |
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| Bangladesh |
| Mojahid on fresh remand |
| 2010-07-16 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] A Dhaka court yesterday placed Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid on a three-day fresh remand in a case filed for killing 345 people during the country's Liberation War in 1971. Meantime, Jamaat Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami was also shown arrested on Wednesday in the case following an application submitted by the Criminal Investigation Department. CID also prayed for a ten-day remand to interrogate Nizami. The hearing on the remand prayer will be held in the court after he is produced before the court on expiry of his remand period in another case. Metropolitan Magistrate Roksana Begum Happy issued the remand order after CID Inspector Nurul Islam Siddiqui, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, produced Mojahid before it with a 10-day remand prayer. Earlier on Wednesday, the same court granted a five-day remand each to detained Jamaat leaders Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla in the same case. Freedom fighter Amir Hossain Mollah filed the case on January 25, 2008, with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court. REMAND OF MOJAHID-SAYEDEE Third Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Ali Hussain yesterday allowed Uttara police to take Mojahid and Sayedee on a three-day remand granted earlier in connection with a case filed with Uttara police for creating anti-state activities across the country. The duo were produced before it on completion of their 13 days' remand in four cases filed with Paltan and Ramna police stations on February 12, 17 and June 20 and 26. The two along with Nizami were shown arrested on June 30 in the case and they were placed on a three-day remand. CASE AGAINST SAYEDEE The same court yesterday re-fixed July 18 for hearing on a prayer for a seven-day remand of detained Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee in a case filed for attempt to kill late Prof Humayun Azad on February 27, 2004. Assailants stabbed prominent writer Humayun Azad brutally with machetes in front of Bangla Academy when he was on his way back to his residence. The court fixed the date again as CID Inspector Mostafizur Rahman, also the IO of the case, could not submit the case diary before it yesterday. The CID produced Sayedee before the court as it had fixed yesterday for hearing the remand prayer earlier. The IO on July 11 prayed for his seven-day remand. Sayedee was also shown arrested in connection with the case on the same day. REMAND OF JAMAAT LEADER'S RELATIVES Another Dhaka court yesterday placed seven people including Quader Molla's son and two sons-in-law and also Kamaruzzaman's son and nephew on a two-day remand in a case filed under section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The arrestees are Quader's son Hasan Jamil and sons-in-law Zahirul Islam and Mahibullah, Kamaruzzaman's son Hasan Imam and nephew Mashqur Rahman Jitu, and Shibir activists Zaman and Monirul Huq. Metropolitan Magistrate GM Al Masud passed the order after Kotwali police produced them before it with a seven-day remand prayer. Police arrested them from the court on Wednesday on charges of attempts to deteriorate law and order on the court premises. |
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| Law enforcers hunt for hidden JMB arms | |||
| 2010-07-16 | |||
| [Bangla Daily Star] Banned militant organisation Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh has destroyed all the explosives it had in northern region, claimed detained outfit leader Anwar Alam. Law enforcers, however, have doubt over the account. Police suspect Anwar Alam alias Nazmul alias Bhagne Shahid might have huge explosives and firearms stashed in the region. Anwar, the acting JMB chief, told police during an interrogation yesterday that they had announced northern region as an area free from bomb-making factories, interrogators said. "As part of a new strategy taken around three months back, they [the organisation leaders] have already dismantled their explosives in the area," Bogra Superintendent of Police Humayun Kabir told The Daily Star quoting Anwar. A top police official, who led the drives to catch Alam and former JMB chief Saidur Rahman, said, "We suspect Alam has kept explosives hidden in dens in northern region." "We're worried about it as we seized powerful belt-bombs in Narayanganj in May. Those bombs can kill 50 to 60 people at a time if blasted in a gathering," added the official seeking anonymity.
Intelligence Wing Director of Rapid Action Battalion Lt Col Ziaul Ahsan said, "We suspect JMB still possesses a good amount of explosives and hand made bombs and grenades." Ziaul Ahsan said they are on efforts to seize explosives, if JMB possesses any. I smell a few upcomming moonlight drives to hunt arms caches. Those are always good for a "Crossfire" accident. In an interrogation statement of JMB's ex-military commander Zahidul Islam Sumon alias Bomaru Mizan read Bhagne (nephew) Shahid is operating a bomb-making factory in north Bengal. The Daily Star obtained a copy of the statement. Mizan was arrested on May 14 in 2009. The following day, 11 bombs, a pistol, and a huge stash of chemical residues, plastic explosives, grenade casings, fuses and detonators were seized from the capital's Mirpur area. The clues given by Mizan led Rab to launch a number of unsuccessful drives in several northern districts to unearth the factory. Detained Saidur has already admitted to detectives that his outfit has several hundred explosives, handmade bombs and grenades stashed at different dens, said the DB official who interrogated the JMB man. The Bogra SP also said Anwar claimed that as part of a new strategy they have deactivated their military wing in northern region and are now focusing on new recruitment from the region. The JMB boss also admitted that they made a good number of bombs and grenades in northern region to foil the 2008 national elections. He also said explosives might have been stashed in Dhaka region. Police said Nazmul alias Bhagne Shahid, a highly motivated JMB member, is accused in several cases filed at different places in the country. Some of the cases are in connection with assaulting police and arms looting in Joypurhat, Grameen Bank robbery in Pabna, lootings of BRAC banks in Natore and Tangail, bomb attacks on four cinemas in Mymensingh and attack on Prof Humayun Azad.
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| Sayedee shown held in Prof Humayun Azad attack case |
| 2010-07-12 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] etained Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee was shown arrested yesterday in connection with a case for attempt to kill late Prof Humayun Azad in February 2002. Third Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Ali Hossain passed the order after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) inspector Mostafizur Rahman, also the investigating officer of the case, submitted a petition showing Sayedee arrested in the case. The investigating officer also prayed for a seven-day remand to interrogate him. The court fixed July 15 for hearing on the remand prayer, and directed the jail authorities to produce him before it on the scheduled date. Earlier on June 30, Delwar Hossain Sayedee, along with Jamaat-e Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid, were shown arrested in a slew of cases including four in connection with war crimes, and also remanded for 16 days each. |
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| Bangladesh |
| Nizami quizzed over arms haul |
| 2010-07-07 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] Interrogators yesterday quizzed Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami about 10-truckloads of firearms and ammunition seized in Chittagong on April 2, 2004. Nizami, the then industries minister, is being interrogated in the arms haul case as the consignment was offloaded at the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Company Ltd, which is under the industries ministry. He had sent the then industries secretary to Chittagong before the consignment was seized. Besides, the interrogators are quizzing Nizami and his two other top party colleagues about the attack on Prof Humayun Azad, training on small arms by Jamaat's health division members and the party's source of funds, police sources said. Nizami along with Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and Nayeb-e-Ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee are now on remand in two cases and being quizzed at the Detective Branch headquarters in the city. Asked what he knows about the smuggling of the biggest consignment of arms and ammunition in Chittagong, Nizami denied having any link or previous knowledge about it, said a highly placed police officer, who is in the interrogation team. "As we argued that he had sent then industries secretary Nurul Amin to Chittagong a couple of days before the seizure of the consignment to ensure safe passage, Nizami became very nervous and remained tight-lipped, said the official. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has already interrogated Nurul Amin in connection with the arms haul and asked the former industries secretary not to leave the country. The official said they would also question the top three detained Jamaat leaders about the attack on prolific writer Humayun Azad as after the incident, Sayedee at a gathering hinting Azad said, "There was a Murtad (apostate). We have sent him to afterlife, where he will burn till the end of the time." In his speech, Sayedee also said, "If needed, we will train on arms to counter armed attacks." The DB official said they had video footage of the speech and would present it before Sayedee and others. Police officials said during interrogation detained JMB chief Saidur Rahman, who was once the Jamaat Ameer of Habiganj district, had already said that Jamaat's health division, formerly known as Tamil Department, is still carrying out training on small arms in the hilly areas of Chittagong. The training camp, which was earlier in the deep forest of Sylhet, has been later shifted to Chittagong. "We will also interrogate the top Jamaat leaders about the training camps," said the official. Meanwhile, police yesterday held 25 leaders and activists of Jamaat and Islami Chhatra Shibir when they were holding a meeting at a hotel in Chittagong city. Searching the arrestees' cellphones, police found text messages sent to certain people inviting them to join Sunday's rampage in the port city. |
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| HC vacates stay on extortion case against Hasina |
| 2009-05-13 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] The High Court (HC) yesterday vacated its stay order on proceedings of the Tk 3 crore extortion case filed against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by businessman Azam J Chowdhury. An HC bench comprised of Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice Md Mamtazuddin Ahmed gave the ruling upon a prayer by Hasina's counsel barrister Rafique-Ul Huq. Earlier on September 16 last year, the court stayed proceedings of the case and also granted bail to Hasina following a petition filed by her. The public prosecutor (PP) will now pray to the trial court for withdrawal of the case. Meanwhile, Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu has recommended that 11 other cases against the prime minister be withdrawn as, he mentioned, those were filed to "tarnish the image of the Awami League chief and her previous government". The cases include those filed by the last BNP-led government for alleged graft in the purchase of MiG-29s for the air force and Frigate for the navy, and in the construction of Bangabandhu Planetarium (now Bhashani Novo Theatre) and for 'illegal entry' in Dhaka cantonment area to visit the now deceased writer Humayun Azad at the CMH. Yesterday morning, Rafique-Ul Huq prayed to the HC to vacate its stay order so that the trial court can withdraw the case considering it as a politically motivated one. He told newsmen later that the government has decided to withdraw politically motivated cases, but the PP concerned recently informed the authorities that the trial court cannot let this (extortion) case be withdrawn as the HC stayed its proceedings. AFM Mesbahuddin, another counsel for Hasina, told The Daily Star that they will also take legal steps soon for withdrawal of other cases against her, including Niko and barge mounted power plant corruption cases, since all those were "false, fabricated and politically motivated". In January this year, the government decided to withdraw the extortion case against Hasina following Azam J Chowdhury's application to the home ministry for dropping charges against her. Earlier, he had given a statement before the trial court to the effect that he did not bring any allegation against the AL chief while filing the case. The home ministry then asked the district magistrate to take initiative for withdrawal of the case. Metropolitan PP Ehsanul Haq Samaji informed the district magistrate that the HC had stayed proceedings of the case following a petition from Hasina. So, necessary steps will be taken after its disposal. Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of Eastcoast Trading Pvt Ltd, had filed the case against Hasina and her cousin Sheikh Selim with Gulshan Police Station on June 13, 2007, on charge of extorting Tk 2.99 crore from him in exchange for awarding a contract to set up a power plant at Siddhirganj. On June 15 the same year, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court sent the case to the Special Court-5 for quick disposal. Hasina's younger sister Sheikh Rehana, who lives in London, was included in the charge sheet and shown absconding. |
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